It has been an interesting year for Henry Cavill. The incredibly popular British actor (and unashamed gamer) was the star of Netflix’s The Witcher series playing Geralt of Rivia. That was, until Netflix announced that the role had been recast and Liam Hemsworth will be taking over for the fourth season. However, Cavill’s most famous role as Superman has now also been recast. And fans are asking “why is Henry Cavill not returning as Superman?”
Cavill made his debut as DC’s top superhero back in 2013’s Man of Steel. The movie itself received mixed reviews. But Henry Cavill’s performance as Kal-El was well-liked by fans.
Unfortunately, DC failed to capitalise on cinematic superhero-mania in quite the same way that Marvel did. While the MCU has produced eight of the top ten highest grossing superhero movies, DC has only made one – Aquaman. Similarly, audience and critical reception to the DC Extended Universe has always lingered in the middle ground.
Perhaps the DCEU’s biggest problem was the disjointed nature of its releases and overarching story. Marvel followed a method of releasing its movies in “Phases”. Each fed into future instalments via hotly anticipated post-credit scenes.
The same can’t be said for DC – especially after the less than stellar release of Justice League.
That movie had an enduring impact on the DCEU. Rather than pursuing Justice League sequels, the franchise chose to explore lesser known superheroes. And that triggered much speculation about the future of Henry Cavill, and others, in DC’s cinematic universe.
However, in October, things seemed to be back on track for Cavill’s Superman. He appeared in an uncredited cameo at the end of The Rock’s Black Adam and announced his return to the role. But now the actor has shocked fans by announcing he won’t be back after all. So, why is Henry Cavill not returning as Superman?
Why Is Henry Cavill Not Returning As Superman?
On 15 December, Cavill shared an unexpected message on Instagram. It explained that despite his previously announced return, he would not be donning the classic red cape again after all.
The actor wrote: “I have just had a meeting with James Gunn and Peter Safran and it’s sad news, everyone. I will, after all, not be returning as Superman.”
James Gunn, known for his previous work on Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy movies, and Peter Safran are the newly appointed co-CEOs and co-Chairmen of the rebranded DC Studios.
Their appointment spurred rumours of a big redesign for DC’s movie plans. And that all came to a head on 15 December with Cavill’s announcement.
Why is Henry Cavill not returning as Superman? James Gunn announced on Twitter that Henry Cavill will not be returning as Superman because the Man of Steel’s next movie will chronicle his younger years. At 39, Gunn and Safran obviously believe Cavill is too old to portray a younger version of Kal-El.
However, there is still hope for fans of Cavill’s Superman.
In a subsequent post, James Gunn clarified that “we just had a great meeting with Henry and we’re big fans and we talked about a number of exciting possibilities to work together in the future.”
From this, it’s clear the door is still open for Henry Cavill to return as Superman after this new movie.
But a follow-up to 2013’s Man of Steel has been on (and off) the cards for years. So, it’s anyones guess if we’ll actually end up seeing Henry Cavill as Superman again.
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